More than 18 people in restive region of Kivu in DR Congo’s troubled east have been killed by heavily armed Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a militia blamed for hundreds of deaths this past year, local sources said on Thursday.
It was gathered that the army and UN forces are fighting several armed groups at the region and the group has killed nearly 600 civilians since the army launched a crackdown on it last November, according to an unofficial count.
The attack was confirmed on Thursday by local officials who revealed that the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) were responsible for the attack in Bayeti village, Mamove locality in Beni territory.
Victims, most of them in their homes, were killed by gunshots and knives. The attackers also set fire to several homes, churches, and businesses at 19:00 local time on Wednesday, they said.
The head of a civil society group in Mamove, Kinos Katuho, said locals had spotted the attackers earlier in the day.
“The residents had seen the enemy [attackers] from midday. We had gone to report to the FARDC [army] elements based in Bayeti, but they were unable to prevent the attack and protect the population,” he is quoted as saying by the Actualité website.
At least 42 people have been killed by the ADF in Mamove since 3 October, Mr Katuho said.
